Crash Course Collision
by AppleL0V3R
Summary: Mini-Story. It seemed after running into him the first time, she was destined to keep doing it. At least it wasn't literally this time. ItaSaku. AU.
1. The Parlor

**Title:** Crash Course Collision

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** One – The Parlor

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Mini-Story – Incomplete

**Summary:** "Oh my gosh, I'm sooooo sorry!" Sakura exclaimed but then she realized just who she'd bumped into and gotten ice cream all over.

**Theme:** 25 Place LJ challenge (#6 – Ice Cream Parlor)

**Word Count:** 1,455

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Edited on:** November 6, 2011

* * *

One of the oddest habits Sakura withheld from her childhood was getting an ice cream cone right after school. She always went to the same place – the one she'd gone to as a kid – because the ice cream was homemade instead of the store bought kind. She didn't have a problem with buying ice cream from the store; she just preferred to go buy a dollar cone with an ice cream flavor and three toppings of her choice. Besides, the people who owned the ice cream parlor also ran the bookstore she usually went to where she would read for hours on end. So she knew them pretty well.

So of course, right after her last class of the day ended and she'd mingled with her friends, while ultimately making a beeline for her car. After reaching said mode of transportation, she made her way to the little ice cream parlor that was a block away from her house.

She easily parked in one of the few spaces. The place was small and looked pretty old, but the inside was full of pictures and decorations. The place was almost like a second home to her, with the bookstore being the other one of course. Within seconds she was entering through the door, a small jingle alerting the occupants inside that there was someone coming in.

Kakashi took one look at her and turned around to get her order: white chocolate mint flavored ice cream with hot fudge, chocolate chips and sprinkles. Yum. See Sakura loved white chocolate and mint chocolate so Kaksahi – the owner of the bookstore along with his wife, Anko, who was the owner this parlor shop – had decided to mix the two and let the pinkette have a taste test. She shouted her approval and then started in on her ice cream trying to savor it while stuffing it down by the mouthful. Not very lady-like, Anko had commented when she'd entered the room to see what all the shouting was about. From then on, Sakura became the official taste tester for all their new inventions. Sakura didn't mind being their guinea pig, though, it meant free ice cream and getting to be the first to taste the ice cream they were so infamous for.

Without thinking about it, Sakura closed her eyes as she hummed a tune she'd had stuck in her head for a while and made her way to a table that she knew would have two seats and was next to a window. What she didn't anticipate was running into someone.

So of course, when she suddenly ran into someone, she snapped her eyes open as well as her mouth, "Oh my gosh, I'm sooooo sorry!" the pink haired teen exclaimed, but then she realized just who she'd bumped into and gotten ice cream all over.

Uchiha Itachi.

Oh crap. "I'm really sorry, is there anyway I can make it up to you?" But the worst part was that she needed to learn how to keep her mouth shut. A klutz and a big-mouthed idiot. She knew the guy's younger brother, an arrogant jerk who would probably find something really humiliating to do to the school geek right now. Itachi was rumored to be even worse than his younger brother. She was so screwed as it was and then she just _had_ to go and ask if she could make it up to him. Did she love torturing herself or what?

When she got the nerve to finally peek up at him from her bowed head, she found him to be looking at her with curiosity, not the sinister look she expected him to be sporting. "A new shirt would be nice since you did just ruin this one, but I think that's reasonable, don't you?"

Drop dead gorgeous supposed to be sadistic Uchiha heir say what?

She snapped her head up to look him directly in the eye. If he wasn't sadistic like his little brother, than surely he'd have no problem with it. But she couldn't believe he'd be so understanding, she got ice cream all over a shirt that must be at least seventy-five dollars. Wait a minute, seventy-five dollars...That's why he seemed so reasonable. He was going to make her buy a really expensive shirt that would use up all the money she'd worked so hard to obtain.

But no one said no to an Uchiha, and most certainly not the Uchiha heir. So she nodded grudgingly and stated through clenched teeth that she would. Stupid Uchiha's, they thought they were so superior to everyone else. She snorted inwardly, their superiority complex only made them look like arrogant pricks and fools to her. But she was the school geek, so saying such wouldn't be very good for her health.

He raised an elegant eyebrow, "Of course I'll have to accompany you."

* * *

She was the school geek, yes. But she was only called that because she was so intelligent that standing next to her made one feel like an idiot and therefore to make themselves feel better, the popular crowd had deemed her the school geek and freak. Geek by intelligence and freak by uniqueness. At least she wasn't just another mindless teen in the crowd. He personally found her beautiful, her pink hair and sparkling green eyes worked for her. And quite nicely, too.

He had decided to follow her from the school to the little ice cream parlor that she always went to. It was an odd habit of hers, but that was alright, because the little place was quaint in its own way. The man behind the counter looked at Sakura and then turned to get her order. After retrieving it, Sakura turned and headed for a seat while humming a tune he didn't recognize. He deliberately put himself in her path simply to see how she'd react and realized too late that she'd closed her eyes. She must've known this place very well to trust herself to do so. Or perhaps she trusted her senses enough. When she ran into him though, he realized the former one was the right one.

Impossibly large emerald green eyes snapped open upon contact, "Oh my gosh, I'm sooooo sorry!" He always had liked her voice. He wasn't going to say it was soft and beautiful, but he would say that it was nice to hear, especially directed at him.

Then she seemed to freeze when she realized just who she'd run into. That's right; he'd never approached her so she only knew him as his foolish little brother's elder brother. Sasuke could be quite the prick and was the perfect representation of their family. Itachi saw no reason to act so foolishly. He didn't own the world and when Sasuke got out on his own, he'd be in for a rude awakening. He did love the kid; he just couldn't stand him was all. "I'm really sorry, is there anyway I can make it up to you?"

And all though Itachi didn't think himself superior to all, he also wasn't a saint. He wouldn't pass up the chance she'd just given him. She really was something else. "A new shirt would be nice since you did just ruin this one, but I think that's reasonable don't you?" It really was just a shirt, simple black and about ten dollars. But it was also his chance to get closer to this little paradox that he'd become interested in when he'd learned all she'd accomplished. Skipping two whole grades, an A+ student in every class since she started middle school, senior Valedictorian of her year, editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and the varsity volleyball team captain.

He could see her tense further and realized that she must have thought because he was Sasuke's elder brother that he was just like the teen, if not worse. That didn't settle well with him, he made a mental note to clear that up when they went out for that shirt. She nodded and said she would through gritted teeth. And soon.

He quirked an eyebrow, "of course I'll have to accompany you."


	2. The Store

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Chapter:** Two – The Store

**Type:** Mini-Story – Incomplete

**Summary:** She'd gotten ice cream all over him. "So which shirt do you want?" And now she had to buy him any shirt of his choosing.

**Theme:** 25 Place LJ challenge (#6 – Ice Cream Parlor)

**Word Count:** 2,865

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Edited on:** December 20, 2011

* * *

The clock on the wall couldn't tick slow enough, and it most certainly couldn't tock fast enough. Sakura waited in irritation and festering sulkiness for the Uchiha that would be the death of her. Going shopping – she still didn't know where – with any guy as gorgeous and popular as him was like social suicide. But it wasn't like she could say no; she'd offered to do anything and even agreed to buy him a new shirt no matter how much it would cost. Still, because she was going to be walking next to him in public for at least an hour, she knew one of her classmates would see her and the domino effect would get her into a lot of problems. So no matter which way she looked at it, today would simply be, figuratively of course, the death of her.

She huffed to herself. This sucked and once again she reprimanded herself for not figuring out how to keep her big mouth shut. Maybe she should just start duck taping it; in fact she should go do that right now so she didn't get herself into deeper water with this guy. The only reason she threw the idea out was because she didn't have any on her at the moment and she couldn't go grab any because she was in the parlor she'd met him at.

They'd agreed to meet here at a given time because it was an easy place to meet at without the need to give directions to unknown places. In other words; it was safe. She'd flat out refused to give away either her phone number or house address and didn't even bother asking for his; that would only make her problem worse – she so didn't need anybody knowing that she had gone to the Uchiha house and then gone somewhere with one of them. And the idea of one of them going to her house so that said guy and herself could go somewhere? Even worse. And thus the parlor.

She was seated in her usual spot; it was halfway between the door and the counter and was right next to the window, allowing her a view of the parking lot. She hadn't even bothered getting something to eat even though school had ended almost fifteen minutes ago; she simply didn't have the appetite for ice cream today. This had earned her continuous concerned looks from both Kakashi and Anko, but she didn't pay them much mind, passing it off with the excuse that she was feeling nervous today. And not that she wasn't, she hadn't been able to make the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach go away since last night. Thankfully today there were no meets whatsoever, not on the student council, not in volleyball, not with teachers, nothing. And so with a quick excuse to Ino – that was going to come back to haunt, she just knew it – she had headed straight for her favorite parlor shop.

And now here she waited. He hadn't told her if he was coming from school or something and she hadn't asked. It wasn't really her business anyhow; she simply wished he'd hurry the hell up. But in his defense, he still had another ten minutes to get here. She hated when she showed up early; it was a tendency she had that usually got her into almost-trouble. Not actual trouble because most of the teachers and staff didn't think she could do any wrong. Not true, but that didn't mean she wouldn't use it to her advantage. For those who did know better – a few select teachers and the principal herself – she was usually let off with a warning and lecture and sometimes a form of punishment. And the punishment should have been a give away, but most thought her such a goody-two-shoes that she would do it of her own accord anyway. Again, she used that in her favor.

She didn't know if she felt relieved or disappointed when he finally walked in the small shop and immediately started for her. "You didn't have to wait too long, I hope."

Well whether he was worse than his little brother or not, at least he had manners. Something Sasuke didn't seem to even know the meaning of.

She'd been there for roughly a half hour, but she still shook her head and stood. "Er, are we taking your car or mine or separate?" So much for figuring out how to keep her mouth shut.

He paused, tilting his head as he considered the question. "Whichever you feel most comfortable with."

She had to refrain gaping and settled for looking away, at the door instead of him. Was he trying to be nice? Or was he naturally that way? She immediately pushed the latter question aside because there was simply no way an Uchiha could be naturally nice. Or nice in general unless they had an ulterior motive. So, now the question was, if he was indeed trying to be nice, what was his motive? She opened the door and held it for him, waving to both adults behind the counter.

"Have a good day, Sakura!" Anko called and Kakashi smiled warmly at her. She nodded to them with a smile of her own.

And then she was following the Uchiha who was already the bane of her existence. Though admittedly, he didn't seem even remotely as bad as Sasuke. Maybe the rumors were wrong, she wouldn't get her hopes up, but it would be nice if that were the case. "Do you mind if I ride with you?" She was already doomed anyway.

He glanced back at her, and she could have sworn she caught him smile. But then again, that could just be her overactive imagination. But he nodded and led her to his car. She was only half surprised to find it was one of the less expensive brands and though the car looked nice, if she remembered the commercials correctly, this was definitely not expensive.

That almost made her hopeful. After all, it meant he didn't spend as much money as his spoiled little brother. And then she remembered that she was the one paying for it so he would probably be more flippant with prices. It just figured she'd have this kind of luck.

She tugged open the door after hearing the handle click. Then, just as easily, she slid into the passenger seat of the car – it was nice with a cobalt blue interior with not leather seats, but nice soft fur seats. She had to admit, he had good taste, and the car smelt like rainwater. She liked it; she'd never really paid it much mind since she didn't go out in or right after the rain very much anymore, but she still liked the smell.

Huh.

Good taste, lovely scent and trying to be nice.

But a horrible reputation.

She honestly didn't know what to make of him. Especially with the rumor that he'd been twice as bad as Sasuke on the personality front. But, as she glanced at him for the corner of her eye – she would not openly ogle him no matter how incredibly handsome he was – he honestly didn't seem that bad. He had slipped into his seat as well and then shut the door and started the car all in one fluid motion. All she could see were the good points about him and she didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing. Did it mean he was covering up the horrible personality and if so, why? And why even bother with her? it was just a shirt after all; a snap of his fingers and he'd have a new one just like it. He wouldn't have to go to the store to buy it or anything.

She couldn't figure him out. And to be honest, that was just more points in his favor because she liked a good challenge.

After he pulled out of the parking lot she caught him glancing at her – but only because she'd glanced at him at the same time – and quickly looked out the tinted window. "So where are we going?"

"I honestly didn't have a specific store planned, do you have any ideas?"

That threw her off as well. Was he trying to make it seem like he wasn't out to humiliate, or was he really just not conscious of the fact of what being seen with him would do to her reputation?

Too confused by the whole 'was this or that true' game she kept playing with herself over him, she finally decided to take him at face value. Decided to forget what she'd heard about him and just go off of what she learned. And what she learned was that he was a guy she'd gotten ice cream all over and she'd offered to buy him a new shirt so that's what they were doing. And that said guy was nice and handsome and accommodating. All great qualities that she would like in a boyfriend.

She froze at that thought. Uchiha Itachi. As her boyfriend. She couldn't believe she'd even gone there. Quickly she shook her head free of such complete and utter nonsense and chose then to remember that he'd asked her a question.

She shrugged, keeping her gaze steadily on the window. "I don't care. We could go to…" She couldn't think of a place that an Uchiha would shop at; they were in different economic circles by like…a lot. So she didn't even know what to suggest. And besides, what kind of store would he like? "I guess where you got the shirt I ruined."

He chuckled and slid over into the far right lane. "Sounds good."

Her throat had locked up to the point where all she could do was nod. Now she had just done it again, 'where you got the shirt?' If she had any chance of buying something below twenty dollars, then it was gone now. Damn her and her big mouth, but it was the only thing she could think of. It was a Catch-22 really, so she guessed it hadn't mattered what she said. But what had really gotten her wasn't her mouth, it was his laugh – chuckle technically, but still – so rich and deep and quiet and, well, musical. Before she could help it, she'd already admitted to herself that she loved it.

This really was going to be the day from hell, wasn't it?

* * *

He knew his steps were a bit hurried when he got out of his car and headed into the parlor, but he'd been running later than intended and he wanted to see her. Today was the day they'd decided on to go shopping for a new shirt for him. It wasn't the best excuse, but because of it he got to spend at least an hour with her and her undivided attention. And that's all he wanted.

He tugged the door open and let his eyes swiftly graze over the restaurant and its occupants until he spotted the pink-haired young woman he was looking for. She was seated in a window seat, her gaze glued to it as she was clearly thinking about something, though he didn't know what. He made a mental note to figure out what it was later. There was the chance that it could be nothing more than what she was planning to get done that day or the like as well.

His strides were long and swift, carrying effortless grace. "You didn't have to wait too long, I hope."

She shook her head; her pretty, pink locks swayed with the motion and then she stood. "Er, are we taking your car or mine or separate?"

The question honestly caught him off guard; he hadn't even considered the thought because he didn't figure it would be even worth mentioning. But she had a point. It would be easier if they simply took the same car, though he wasn't sure if that's what she would be comfortable doing so considering he still hadn't made it clear that he was not like his bratty little brother. That's what this trip was for after all. Well, that and getting to know her better. So he settled with, "Whichever you feel most comfortable with."

She opened the door for him, and then waved at the man and woman behind the counter with a smile when the purple-haired woman shouted her farewell, calling Sakura by name. So she knew them at least on some level – well enough to be on a first name basis – he filed that bit of knowledge away for usage later. She proceeded to follow him out of the door and, when they were a little ways away, she opened her mouth, "Do you mind if I ride with you?"

The question took him by surprise because he hadn't expected her to lean for that option. But it meant that she probably didn't see him as she did his little brother, whom he knew she had problems with – and vice versa. He couldn't count how many times Sasuke had complained about her; it was why he took notice of her. And it also meant he had a better chance at getting her to like him. The thought made him smile as he nodded and continued on for his car, her right on his heels.

She easy slid in the passenger side and he caught her glancing around with an appreciative look. She approved.

The car had been a gift from his mother. He had told her expressly that he would buy his car on his own, and so she'd decided to buy one for him, one that he would have bought anyway. It was what Mikoto did; she went out of her way to make her family happy and did so like a teenager with a devious mind rather than the matriarch of a very prestigious corporation that she was. He may have gotten his stern and cool-headed nature from his father – as well as his eyes – but he got everything else from his mother. Not that he minded since, as Sasuke loved to say, he was a mama's boy.

He put the car in reverse as he backed out of the parking space before shifting to drive and glided out of the parking lot. He hadn't really realized that he was continuously glancing at her until they caught each other's eye for a brief moment. It amused him how she quickly looked away with a blush rising to her cheeks. "So where are we going?"

He didn't even pause. "I honestly didn't have a specific store planned, do you have any ideas?" After all, it didn't matter to him where they went because that's not why he agreed to this.

He kept an eye on her as he focused on the road and its occupants. She was quiet for a long moment as different emotions passed her countenance. It was endearing to watch and he was curious why a look of startled disgruntlement was followed by an imperceptible shake of her head. Clearly her mind had wandered into a domain she hadn't wanted it to. Eventually she shrugged, keeping her gaze steadily on the window and in turn amusing him. "I don't care. We could go to…" she paused, trying to think of a place, "I guess where you got the shirt I ruined."

He couldn't help but chuckle at her choice. She didn't want to offend or seem cheep and so had played a safe choice. He wondered if she knew that it was a simple thrift store and then decided at the look on her face that no, she didn't. She'd probably assumed it was some expensive store and the plain cotton shirt was upwards of thirty bucks. It would be entertaining to see her expression when he took her to that little thrift store his mother loved to drag him to. "Sounds good."

He watched as she seemed to go still and wondered if he had said or done something wrong, but then he realized it was more like one of those looks his fan girls got all the time. Not nearly as bad as them, but, if he had to guess, it meant she'd heard something she liked. Which gave him even more of an upper hand.

Perhaps achieving his goal wasn't going to be as hard as he'd originally thought it would be. But then again, if he'd learned one thing about her, it was that she didn't do what others expected her to.


	3. The School

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Chapter:** Three – The School

**Type:** Mini-Story – Incomplete

**Summary:** She'd repaid him with the shirt, and in turn had gotten to know him a bit more. But he wasn't done with her it seemed.

**Theme:** 25 Place LJ challenge (#6 – Ice Cream Parlor)

**Word Count:** 3,685

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** This chapter is going to be slightly different, it will still be Sakura and then Itachi's perspective, but I won't be overlapping them like the last two chapters. Sakura's will be at the store and Itachi's will be at the school. Also, normally I don't degrade Sasuke, despite how he's turned out in the manga, Sasuke still is one of my favorite characters. I'm merely doing this for the plot, not because I don't like him.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

The car had been quiet the rest of the drive and finally they stopped. She paused and glanced at the store he'd parked in front of. Itachi was already out of the car in her field of vision through the window shield. After a moment of her still staring at the store, completely baffled, he paused and turned to her, his head tilted questioning.

And just like that she was skittering out of the car, pushing the door shut as she went, and hurrying to his side. Once she was within a few feet he turned and started walking again but she got in front of him. "Woah, woah. _This _is where you got your shirt?"

He nodded and she didn't believe him. She'd been so sure and…Damn it. Couldn't he go five minutes without proving all of the rumors wrong? Well, it's not exactly his fault she supposed, people gossiped and when a group of words went from one mouth to the next enough times then it could completely change. And besides, wasn't it a _good _thing that he was a decent person?

With that admittance to herself she backed off and waited for him to start walking again so she could fall in step beside him. When he did she did so as well, keeping her eyes on the ground as she found herself playing that peeking at him game again. This time when she got caught she smiled sheepishly and looked ahead, feeling his eyes on her as he watched her with pure amusement out of the corner of his eye. She blushed slightly and decided that she really should just forget the rumors, because he seemed the kind of guy she'd like to get to know.

The electronic door opened and he let her go first before following a half step behind. Sakura honestly expect this to take long, he was clearly the type of person who walked into something knowing what he wanted and if the situation was sprung on him he found a way to bend it to fit his ending. Confident, intelligent, but clearly not arrogant. Smiling at the prospect, she found she had to admit that she wouldn't quite mind spending more time with him. If only she could think of an excuse as to why.

They headed straight for the men's clothing department of the store, "Looking for something in particular?" She asked lightly, just so that they wouldn't be trapped in complete silence.

He paused and seemed to consider it before shaking his head slightly, "Whatever catches my eye, I suppose."

She nodded, remembering that she'd been meaning to get a new hoody and she'd always liked the guy ones better than the girls. So while he looked for a t-shirt, she'd browse the sweatshirts.

"And you?"

His question surprised her so much, she jumped a little, jerking her head in his direction, "What?"

Amusement seemed to flare to life in his eyes, "I said, and you?"

"Oh." She blushed lightly with embarrassment but quickly shook it off, "I was planning on finding a new jacket, my current one is getting kinda old. Doesn't hold up the way it used to."

Itachi nodded understandingly. "Then I will meet you between the men's and women's clothing?" Was it her imagination, or did he seem reluctant to go with that plan?

Figuring that it was the former she shook her head, "No, I actually like the guy's selection better."

Again he nodded, but this time there was a slight smile on his features that almost rethink her assessment of that question. Almost. She definitely did not get her hopes up over him because she knew that even if he wasn't an ass like his little brother, that didn't mean her heart would be safe crushing on him. Besides, she was in her last year of high school, now was not the time to be thinking about hot _older _college guys like that.

Realizing the turn her thoughts had taken, she decided Itachi was horrible for her hormones and that distance would be much appreciated if it helped her cause. So she took a step back and nodded towards the portion of the section that she needed, "I'll, uh, be over there."

He tilted his head slightly, looking almost like he wanted to object but acquiesced anyway. "Very well, I'll see you in a few."

But the fact of the matter was, she could see him from the jackets and sweatshirts, and to be honest, she couldn't help but admire. He was tall, his skin not quite pale but definitely not tan or peach, his pretty black hair looked silky even though it was pulled back into a low pony tail. His plan grey shirt fit his form more than was fair and she could tell that he had a nice ass through his pants.

Oh, dear god, he really was horrible for her hormones. The stupid things would not shut up, and they really ought to. Especially since she was pretty sure she was just the girl who got ice cream all over him and was buy him a shirt to make up for it. Besides, even if he was the most awesome person on the plant, did she really want to be lawfully related to Sasuke? No, most certainly not, nor did she want to have deal with him any more than she absolutely had to. He was the reason she got picked on in school, the prick.

Either way, the best idea now, it seemed was to get the hell out of this store and to get him to take her back to her car so that she never ever had to see him again. Yeah, that sounded like a grand idea. So pulling the green sweatshirt that had original caught her eye but hadn't kept her attention, she started back for Itachi. With any luck the guy had already picked out a shirt and was simply waiting on her to get going.

But did she ever have any luck with him? Considering the fact that she was currently buying him a t-shirt because she ruined the last one, no. No she did not have any luck with this guy.

He seemed to be taking his sweet time. And was it her did he start moving a little slower after she appeared on the other side of the rack. "Find what you wanted?"

She nodded, not trusting her vocals to respond correctly. She tried to find somewhere else to look, hoping against hope that there would be something more interesting than watching his nice body move, see the muscles in his arms become just slightly apparent ever now and again. She wondered idly if they were stronger than they looked.

"You're staring."

She jumped at the sound of his voice and realized that while she'd let her eyes wonder, because of her idle mind they'd gone back to her current shopping mate and stayed there. When it fully sunk in she stared blushing, feeling her whole face warm and only get warmer as she also realized that he was watching her with half lidded eyes. There was a shirt over his arm and he stood right in front of her, smirking slightly with amusement. In other words, he looked positively jumpable and was well within her reach.

Trying to get a hold on her impossibly hyperactive hormones, she murmured and apology.

His head tilted in that way, she was beginning to notice he did it when he was considering someone else's words and wanted the best reply possible. "Sakura," He paused. She blinked up at him in askance. She felt her stomach flip nervously. Was he going to tell her off? Was he going to start being harsh? Oh she hoped not. The pinkette rather liked this guy's demeanor just the way it was. But then he shook his head. "Never mind. That's a topic best left for later. Do you want to get going?"

Did she ever. "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea."

She'd started walking almost at the same time he had. But when he abruptly stopped she ran right into his back. _Oh, ow_, she thought absently, robbing her nose. "Is something wrong?"

"'that would probably be a good idea'?"

Startled, she jerked her head up to see him looking back over his shoulder and she froze like that. Her mind unable to find the words that would fix whatever mess she'd just created. The words came out haltingly and without her consent, "N-no. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant…" What? What had she meant? "I meant that…" Crap, why couldn't she think of anything? Why had she even said that?

But even as her silence took over – pretty much condemning her as well, she figured – he stood, unmoving. Sharp eyes zeroed in on her and refused to leave her person.

She felt the urge to fidget but found her body was still completely unresponsive. She scowled inwardly, _traitor_, she thought wishing it would listen to her brain once more. That it would at least move back a step, they were so close, barely a hair length between them. And that look of his, those pretty dark eyes, were most certainly not helping right then. And she had to remind herself that she hadn't finished her sentence, had finished explaining herself. Though, in part, that was because she could hardly think, let alone find a reason that she really had no reason for.

Still, she'd gotten most of her way through awkward and 'oops, did I just say that?' situations by doing what got her into them, opening her mouth and let it say whatever the hell it wanted so long as the situation ended and she didn't feel like a complete and utter fool. And since that had gotten her into this mess, she didn't see any reason not to use it to somehow get out of it. "I meant that, well, it's not per se awkward around you, especially since it seems whoever spread those rumors about you being worse than your little brother are soooo wrong. And I don't know, I guess I'm just suffering sensory overload, you know?" She paused, wondering if she'd babbled or explained herself. Both she decided, when she reviewed the words in her head and was happy to note she hadn't said anything to embarrassing. At least she hadn't called him hot to his face, maybe she was getting better at speaking without thinking.

But when he turned to face her, she felt heat rush to her cheeks, warming them at they way those intelligent black eyes seemed to analyze her. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what he thought of her now, or why he was subjecting her to such intense scrutiny but that had to take a backseat as she devoted her mind to making sure she didn't fidget or give off the wrong impression again.

Her breath stilled, catching in her throat as finally he moved, but not away, closer. Sable eyes found hers as he seemed to lazily step forward. She wondered idly if he was getting to close, she couldn't seem to tell for herself or even judge how far away he was. Rather, how close he was. Hell, she couldn't even figure out what she was feeling. Dark hair spilled over his shoulder as his head tipped to the side, "Sensory overload?"

It took her a moment to realize he wasn't asking if that was what she was feeling, he was inquiring for further explanation on her rambling. Which meant she had said something that threw her back in high water, though something told her this was of a different kind. Was she ever going to not be in some kind of situation with him that left her backpedaling and wishing she'd just figure out how to shut up? No, she decided.

And now she knew why those rumors were there. Itachi was most certainly much more of a handful than his little brother, and she knew that meant if he wanted he could be even more of an ass than him too. But no, the eldest preferred not to push people around, but still let them feel like they were, let them try and figure their way out of a very confusing maze that came with all that was Uchiha, Itachi. Again her mind idled, this time to contemplate if he realized he was doing it, but that one she didn't have a solid assumption for. And there was simply no way she was asking him about it either, not while he was still looking at her like that.

She took a deep breath, determined to get out of this entire mess as unscathed as possible and never ever go anywhere near the guy again. He just could not be good for her health, or her perfectly sane mental state of mind. "Yeah, sensory overload."

He raised an eyebrow at her in a way that told her that he expected more and he wait for it if he had to. Great.

"Like…hm." How the hell was she supposed to explain sensory overload? It was termed that way because it _wasn't_ explainable, and she didn't know how to even begin voicing it without digging herself a deeper grave in that high water. "Like, I said, you're nothing like the rumors. Which really shouldn't be a surprise since rumors should be taken with a pinch of salt anyway. And I guess, well, you just keep throwing me for a loop because even when I try to guess what you'll do, I end up blindsided. And it doesn't help that you're seriously handsome." Did she just go there? Well, can't take it back now. "And you're a total gentleman, from what I've experienced so far and…" Now she was scrambling for straws, because she really didn't know how to explain what she was feeling, just why she was feeling it.

To her complete and utter surprise, he chuckled that nice sounding chuckle of his and she, of course, melted inside. "I see, then I suppose I should uphold my impression of being a gentleman and escort you home, should I not?"

Before the pinkette could stop herself, she giggled lightly. Okay, so the day from hell isn't what this was. Especially since she'd finally gotten out of the high water and all. Maybe she should try to find a way to hang out with him again?

..:Xx0o0xX:..

Lazily, he shut the door behind him, hearing it auto-lock as he did so. He didn't mind being here, but at the same time he would rather be somewhere else, doing something productive. Even if it was only a half an hour of his time and even it had been as amusing as hell when Sasuke got his driving privileges revoked for something he had done. The high schooler still had yet to learn how to not to get caught and how to get out of the worst possible punishments, it was a technique Itachi himself had perfected nicely for the rare occasions that he might need it.

So, because his parents had business to attend to and he was free right then, he was stuck picking up his little brother from school. Normally he would have stayed in the car, waiting for his sibling to find him rather than bothering to get out. But the final bell had rang nearly ten minutes before and the older of the two had only so much patience. Thus, him getting out and heading into the school to figure out just what was taking Sasuke so long.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and started for the school entrance, this walk all too familiar, when he got there he tugged open the glass door and headed inside. The question was, should he check the upstairs first or the downstairs? There was also the possibility of the office to figure out where his last class was. Deciding he liked that last option best, he started for the main office that was down the hall and the first left branching off the main one.

Imagine his surprise when he found who he was looking for a ways down the right branching hallway just as he was turning left. The boy was with his friends in an almost circle, smirking as the rest laughed. Not unusual for teenage boys, sure, but sable eyes narrowed when he saw a girl and the floor in the middle, clearly wanting a way out as fast as possible but they wouldn't let her. A frown found its way to his face as he changed direction, heading with swift strides to get there faster. He didn't stop until he was right behind one of the boys circling her and directly across from his brother.

Said boy hadn't even bothered to glance away from his 'victim' so he didn't know of Itachi's presence, and that was fine with the older male because he was too focused on the girl. Her long pink her was a mess about her and her books all over the floor. She was trying to get back up, but because of the boys and girls of the popular kids who clearly just having too much fun. The frown deepened as he easily pushed his way through, earning a loud 'hey' coupled with an 'oh-uh' but paid only the girl any mind, not even caring to see his brother's expression. Kneeling down, he picked up the books and binders that had been out of her reach and shuffled them into one arm so that he could reach out with his other to grasp her upper arm and bring her to her feet as he climbed to his own.

Still he didn't look at his sibling or the faces of any of his friends as he pulled her out of the circle with ease, the younger teens parted like the sea as they all gawked at him. Once he was out of the branch hall and in the main one, he found one of the many side benches and sat her down. He bent down to his knees so he could be eye level with the obviously shaken girl, feeling his anger spike as he did so.

She laughed, though it just further proved how shaky she was, "Definitely not an asshole like you're brother."

As sable eyes checked her over, her statement making him scowl and shake his head with amusement at the same time. "If that wasn't a sign that I'm not brother, then I don't know what is."

She smiled slightly, letting her eyes close and her head thud back against the wall behind her. They stayed like that for a moment, before she sat up again and turned her attention to her things, "Thanks, Itachi."

He nodded, shifting forward to help her. It wasn't hard, the girl was so organized it was clear to him what went where and she didn't object when he ended up putting most of everything back where it belonged. "If he gives you trouble, just call me, alright?"

Her pink head jerked up from the position she'd put it in so startled, green eyes could find his, and again she simply stared. "Um, thanks, but…"

He held up his hand before she could think of some excuse, apparently she was more self dependant than she'd originally let on. It irritated him to know end to see her so abused, but he took comfort in knowing that it was her last year and college would probably be better for her. He knew it had been like a breath of fresh air for him. Letting his hand fall, he pulled out one of her folders and a pencil that was on the bench, proceeding to write down his cell phone number as he did so.

When he had it written down, he tugged out his phone and easily navigated his way to the 'add contact' screen. Pressing on it, he input her name and then forked it over so she could enter her number. She reached for it numbly, still not able to look away from him as she did so. She glanced down just long enough to do as he asked before pressing the 'finished' button and handing it back.

Satisfied, he got to his feet, waiting for her to do the same. Once she was standing, he nodded to her and stepped back so that she could head for the exit.

Sakura took one step forward and then paused, hesitating only the slightest of moments, "Can I call you for other reasons too?"

He tilted his head, then smiled nodding his consent because it meant a chance to get even closer to her. It got an almost grin out of the small girl before him and he watched as happiness coated her movements as she headed out the door. He couldn't deny that he was looking forward to hearing what those other reasons were.

But first, he was going to have a long talk with that little brother of his.


	4. The Library

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Chapter:** Four – The Library

**Type:** Mini-Story – Incomplete

**Summary: **It seemed that after running into him the first time, she was destined to keep doing it. At least it wasn't literally this time.

**Theme:** 25 Place LJ challenge (#6 – Ice Cream Parlor)

**Word Count:** 4,450

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I don't do this often; I usually keep it in the Review Reply section, but I had an anonymous reviewer that I'm grateful to. So L7997, thank you, I appreciate the constructive criticism and I hope I am doing better about my wordiness.

Also, I'm not sure if the overlapping was part of this mini-story's charm or not, but I've decided that this chapter would be better without doing it. But I do like my Sakura then Itachi pattern for perspective, so I will be keeping that.

So as a few people have pointed out, I made a blunder with the phone number thing. I didn't realize that I had already done that (the downfall of taking so long to finish a chapter, it seems) however it has been fixed hopefully there are no more problems.

**Edited on:** February 25, 2012

* * *

Frazzled and irritated, it was all she could do not to slam the book closed. She'd already gotten the Evil Eye for doing that to the first book that hadn't given her the information she sought.

This was why she didn't put off research papers. Just because she was a good test-taker didn't mean she could foist off big assignments until the last minute and still get by just fine. But her week had been so hectic; she hadn't had enough time to even start researching her topic. Granted, the research portion wasn't due until the following week, but she still found herself feeling utterly swamped.

Sighing, she shoved the book back in place and let her head fall in her hands. She was not going to moan or groan about the circumstances, but she was going to find a different way to go about this other than the hard way. Turning around, she looked over at the computer section; they were all still taken.

At least she had all day to get this done; no plans or obligations were going to interfere, and the only way she was leaving was when the library closed. Comforted by the thought that she still had hours and hours at her disposal and determination at her beck and call, she picked herself up and began skimming the titles of books once more. This was the section she needed to be in, and if that meant opening every book of every shelf, then she was just going to have to do it.

After all, there was simply no way she wasn't going to find _something_about this particular topic. So she started from the top-right corner and read each title carefully. This would be time consuming, but until a computer opened or she found a book to use, this was the only thing she could do. After all, it wasn't like she could touch a book and know its contents or something.

She smiled at the absurdity of the thought and almost laughed at how she could put such a power to use. Lost in her own thoughts, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand covered her own. Large and warm, but firm, her first instinct was to look at hte hand, and the second was to look at who it belonged to. Maybe even snatch her own limb back and put distance between them in process.

But she found herself frozen in place when she realized that she recognized the hand. Immediately she turned her head backwards and craned her neck so as to see the dark eyes in that oh-so familiar face. Sakura grinned and whispered, "Hey, Itachi."

He hummed back nonchalantly, his eyes seeming almost hypnotic the more she stared at them. After her encounter with him at the school, any lingering doubts she had about even being around him were gone, replaced by confidence and a feeling of friendship. After all, who, but a friend, would pull someone else from a crowd of jerks whether or not one of those jerks was his younger brother?

Now that she wasn't busy worrying about if Itachi was going to do something cruel to her, she found his presence comforting and easy to be around. She saw no reason to shy away from how close he was to her; she never minded if a friend invaded her personal space. Naruto had been doing it so long and so frequently that she was pretty sure she didn't have a personal bubble anyway.

"What brings you here?"

The dark-haired man paused but for a moment, retracting his arm as he did so. When she felt her own arm being moved, she realized that he hadn't let go of her hand yet nor had she let go of the book. Blinking in surprise, she felt heat begin to pool behind her cheeks as she hastily tried to retrieve her appendage.

However, her mind went blank when Itachi didn't seem inclined to free said limb. "Um, Itachi?"

"I was in the mood to find a book to read."

Again she blinked, momentarily confused by the statement. It took her a bit to realize that he was answering her first question. She nodded distractedly. "That's great; can I have my hand back?"

He tipped his head in that way of his; she was beginning to think she should be wary of whatever he intended to say or do afterwards. It was almost like when Naruto got a certain look in his eye, or Ino made a particular face. And she'd come to associate both with trouble, more specifically trouble for her.

"Does such a close proximity make you nervous, Sakura?" Even as he said the words, he slowly released his firm grip. "I apologize."

She was quick to shake her head, all the while wondering what the hell was wrong with her. "N-no. I don't mind." Did she just stutter? Thrown by her own demeanor, she fell silent.

"Is that so?" He murmured as he took a step back to give her breathing room.

She thought to say that she didn't care if her personal space was invaded, but stopped herself. That would definitely imply the wrong thing, and she didn't want to make an even bigger fool of herself. Why was she worrying about such things if she thought of him as a friend? She had definitely decided that he wasn't anything like his brother or how the rumors portrayed him.

All she could think about was how absurd she was acting. What was her problem? She hadn't even thought about how close he was until she realized that he hadn't let go of her hand. Surely, that wouldn't change anything. How many times had she cuddled with Naruto on her couch and completely forgotten his arm was around her when she tried to stand up? More than a few times she had ended up with a bruise because she'd stumbled and fallen in the process. Granted, Naruto was like a sibling to her, but Itachi was her friend. Inadvertently holding hands should be no big deal.

But try as she might, something in her was determined to view it as more than it was.

"You are interested in fortune telling?" Itachi asked, bringing her out of her stupor as he gestured to the book.

"Huh?" Glancing down, she saw that she was indeed holding a book about fortune telling. Looking back up, she saw an amused look in his eyes and promptly blushed. "Not really. I was looking for a book with specific information."

He raised one dark eyebrow. "And that information pertained to fortune telling?"

Without even trying to, she managed to keep shoving her foot in her mouth. She shook her head. "No, the book should be in this section, but I can't figure out which one I need."

He was looking more and more amused by the second, and she wondered if she should just duct tape her mouth shut. At least that way she couldn't say something that made her seem dense. First she was nervous about being so close to Itachi and him holding her hand, and now she was saying things that made her look like a fool.

"I'm trying to find to origins of 'magic' and how exactly it connects to religion. It's for a school research paper." There, now she seemed less like she was rambling and saying silly things.

He paused for a second. "I see. Then why did you grab a book on fortune telling?"

She too paused, stumped for a moment about how to explain. Finding herself fed up with the shyness she felt about telling him that she was doing things the hard way, she decided to simply ignore all those absurd feelings. If they didn't make sense for her to be feeling, then they could just go away. There was nothing wrong with how she came to the conclusions she did, and she shouldn't feel the need to impress Itachi in any way, shape, or form. "I tried looking in books that I thought would have the information I needed, but that didn't work. And since all the computers are being used, I figured I'd start from the top and check every book."

The amusement changed to simple bemusement as he looked at the aisle of books surrounding them. "That sounds quite time consuming."

She shrugged, happy that she had managed to work past whatever her problem was. Now with any luck, she could go back to being herself without any more hindrances. "I have all day."

The Uchiha seemed to be contemplating something as he glanced at the books once again. After a moment he pulled the book that would have been right after the fortune telling one off the shelf and turned it over. "I have all day as well."

She blinked, taking a moment to realize the implications of that. And then she grinned brightly, flipping her own book over. "Thanks, I totally appreciate it."

As the hours passed and the day slowly turned to night, the two of them had made a nest of sorts in that aisle. They conversed between and during books, pulling each one off the shelf one-by-one and putting them back when they didn't yield relevant information.

It did end up being a time consuming process, but with the both of them being quick readers, it took half the time it would have taken her alone to work her way through the entire right side of that aisle. And by the time they had finished, she had a handful of books that definitely had information she could use for her paper.

Not only had she managed to do what she set out to accomplish in much less time than she thought it would take, she'd had fun the entire time. Itachi was quite the conversationalist, given the topic. And she had certainly found a handful of topics that kept them both going. The best part was that whatever she had felt when he'd first spoken to her didn't crop up again. Sakura always loved it when she could spend an entire evening both productively and enjoyably.

Setting down her stack of books at an empty table, she invited Itachi to join her. The teenager didn't want to head home just yet and was more than willing to sit at a table and talk quietly with him. The man was full of opinions and experiences that kept her hanging off of every word. He made her think and consider, his statements almost forcing her to form her own opinions. And where she did have opinions, she was forced to think of viable reasoning to defend them.

In the back of her mind, she wondered how she could have ever thought he was anything less than he was. This was the start of a beautiful friendship; she could just feel it.

But when he settled into a seat right next to her and grabbed a book off the top of the stack, she found herself feeling like she had hours earlier. For no explainable reason, she found herself nervous and anxious.

Did having him so close really bother her that much?

Itachi was looking at her expectantly, and she realized that she'd completely missed whatever he had just said. "I'm sorry. Would you repeat that please?"

"Sakura, is there something wrong?"

Green eyes blinked, and she shook her head. "What do you mean by 'wrong'?"

"Are you alright?" Those dark eyes of his were so intense, and she could almost imagine what he was really asking: if she was alright with being around him, if she was okay with talking to him.

"Yeah, Itachi. I'm great; I guess I'm just a little more worn out from my hectic week than I thought I was." She figured that would have to be good enough to cover the fact that she couldn't figure out her own emotions. The silly things weren't working properly. Or maybe she really had missed something. But she would dissect that later, when she didn't have to worry about if she was spacing out or staring. Maybe she could even ask Ino for her opinion on the matter; as much as a hassle the blonde could be about these matters, she was more than helpful, and Sakura always found her best friend's advice useful.

The college student watched her for a moment longer, seeming to weigh the truth of her words. Finally he nodded. "If there is, please don't hesitate to inform me."

She smiled at that and nodded happily, unable to stop herself from thinking that saying something like that was really sweet of him. It wasn't everyday she ran into a guy like Itachi, who was understanding of when she didn't want to talk about something and willing to listen if she had complaints about him. "I don't think you actually have to worry about that. I'm pretty sure we already got all the big stuff out of the way."

He raised an eyebrow bemusedly at her. "Did we now?"

She hummed. "Sure. We established that you're not a jerk or anything like the rumors about you, so I'm pretty sure it's smooth sailing for our friendship from here on out."

With that, she reached over and grabbed a book as well as some sticky notes and a pencil from her bag, not noticing that her friend seemed to be frozen.

* * *

Friendship. The word echoed almost hollowly through his mind, bouncing off walls as he found himself unmoving at her admission. But before she could notice that he'd gone as still as a statue, he forced himself to move again, turning the page if only for effect. Itachi chided himself for thinking that she viewed them any differently. After all, they'd only really met each other all of three times, and none of those meetings had any kind of romantic undertones to them. Unless the definition of smitten had changed to getting ice cream all over a stranger, buying them a new shirt, and running into them at a school. It didn't matter that he was intrigued with her, and everything he saw only made him more enamored with the girl. Because the fact of the matter was, she had never given him a thought past the rumors she'd heard about him until that fateful meeting in the parlor shop.

To her, it was only logical that they were only friends, if that. She didn't know that he liked her and wanted to go out on a date with her. She didn't know that letting her run into him had been partially intentional and that going shopping had been completely intentional. She didn't know that he didn't care about one stained shirt or replacing it, not if it meant spending time with her. And she definitely didn't know that seeing his brother pick on her had been aggravating at best, and watching her trying to cover up that she had been affected by it had not helped his mood.

As far as she was concerned, most of what had happened between them was due to mere happenstance and nothing more.

Which left them at friendship.

He rallied his emotions, hushing them. After all, they'd gone from not knowing each other to acquaintances and now friends. Surely he could be patient enough to get her to think about him as more than a friend. They were young and had their whole lives ahead of them; he shouldn't be in any hurry.

Besides, this particular meeting should have shown him that it really was just a matter of time. As long as he was interpreting her reactions properly, and he was certain that he was, then she was nervous when she thought he was too close to her. But rather than try to put space between them, she was refusing to accept that she was even nervous to begin with. The knowledge gave him the certainty that she wasn't anxious to get away from him or avoid him entirely. Her subconscious was recognizing him as a potential boyfriend, and it was affecting her; her conscious mind just hadn't caught up to that yet.

Reassured by these thoughts, his protesting emotions were more easily quieted and shoved away. He could wait knowing that being more than friends could just be a few reachable horizons away.

Even if he really didn't want to wait.

Especially not when she jutted her bottom lip in that way which meant she was stuck on something and trying to figure the word out. It wasn't just cute; it was like she was begging to get herself kissed.

Pursing his lips, he turned his eyes to the sticky note she had her hand poised over and then to the page she had the book open to. Refusing to look up because he knew she was still making that face, he reached over and grabbed the pencil. He felt her green gaze turn on him, but he simply moved her hand and wrote down the words that had undoubtedly been on the tip of her tongue.

When he pulled away and let her see what he'd written, she squealed softly, humming a quick 'oh thank God, you're a miracle Itachi' before taking her pencil back to build off his notes. He gave into the temptation to blink at her in utter surprise. That was not quite the reaction he'd been expecting even if it was the exact emotion.

He shook his head bemusedly, knowing she wasn't paying him any mind. Reaching around her, he grabbed a sticky note and a spare pencil; then he settled in to get comfortable as he set to the task of writing useful notes for her to reference later on when she put the outline of her paper together.

They were spending time together companionably, and there was still a chance for them to be more than friends. He could live with just this as long as he had something to look forward to. Besides, this was quite enjoyable all on its own in some ways.

Not more than a few hours later, they found themselves leaving the library together, more because the building was closing for the night than the research being anywhere near done. Still, Sakura was immeasurably happy as they walked side-by-side toward the parking lot, if her humming and bright smile were any indication.

It made Itachi smirk just looking at her. The pink-haired teenager could have been compared to a fairy right then, she was so full of energy; she almost seemed to glow, and it was made more apparent by the darkened world all around them. It was early spring, which meant cool days and cooler nights, but she didn't seem all that affected by the crisp night breeze, or at least her good mood seemed impervious to it for the moment. He suspected that by the time she neared her car, she would be happier to be out of the cold than she would be thinking about how much they had gotten done.

They were carrying five books between them, the main resources they'd decided on as these particular books had the most useful information.

He tossed her a curious glance when she started giggling. She shook her head in response. "I can't believe we haven't known each other very long…and I wish we'd met before this."

One dark eyebrow rose in askance.

"I've never met _anybody _with my sense of humor, and maybe a handful of people who can hold a highly intelligent conversation without thinking less of me when I say something completely idiotic." She paused and turned a teasingly suspicious gaze on him. "You don't think less of me for half the moronic things that come out of my mouth, do you?"

He snorted, intentionally fueling her amusement. "It's balanced by the fourth of the intelligent things you say."

She grinned back at him, and he waited patiently, finding it easy to count backwards from three until realization and indignation danced across her countenance in quick succession. "Hey!" Another pause before she added with a curious lilt, "Wait, what's the missing fourth then?"

"The silence between when you forget what you're about to say." He answered nonchalantly, deciding to add, "Or when it takes you a moment to fully absorb what's been said to you." almost on a whim.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, feigning irritation as she stuck her nose in the air with exaggeration. After a moment, her green eyes flicked to him, amusement lighting them up. That was definitely a look he would never tire of seeing, he was sure. And moments like these were sure to be plenty as long as he kept her close.

"Seriously though, I'm glad I got ice cream all over you."

Again he raised an eyebrow. "Be careful how cavalierly you say such things. Someone might take that the wrong way."

She chuckled. "Oh hush; you know exactly what I mean."

He hummed absently.

She smiled at him, stopping in front of a smal,l white car before turning to face him. "Thanks Itachi. It seems I have a knack for owing you one. I still haven't figured out how to pay you back for helping out the last time we saw each other." The mention of the incident at the school clearly made her embarrassed as she shuffled on her feet and looked down.

Thinking about it would have irritated him, but he was satisfied in knowing that his 'little chat' with Sasuke had certainly left its mark. The boy wouldn't be targeting this pretty little girl any more at the very least.

"A thank you is more than enough, Sakura." He told her firmly, and it made her jerk her head up to look him in the eye with a startled look. Itachi couldn't resist teasing her though; it was just too amusing how she reacted. "Although, if you truly feel the need to pay me back…"

"No more shopping." It was immediate and firm and almost made him snort again. So she didn't like clothing shopping; that wouldn't be a problem as far as he was concerned. He handed over the books to her when she motioned for them.

Itachi answered dryly, "That would hardly be appropriate, given the circumstance."

She threw him a half-hearted scowl and made to get in her car, though stopping just after she'd open the door. "You know what? How about I give you my address, and we can discuss this when I haven't just realized that it's _cold_and I'm freezing my butt off?"

The dark-haired man repressed the urge to blink as she rifled through her purse for those sticky notes and proceeded to write down numbers and words with a small drawing of what her house looked like. He reached out numbly to take it from her when it was offered.

He knew she was giving it to him as a friend, but he couldn't stop the feeling of triumph swelling in his chest. A glance down at the note told him that he had indeed gotten the home address of the girl he liked. Right then, he decided that he could definitely live with 'just friends' for a while longer if she was willing to be this forth coming. Though it did make him curious to know how much more up front she would be with a boyfriend as opposed to a friend.

"Well, we can't have that."

She turned away long enough to shuffle her things around in the passenger seat, supporting her weight on one hand and both knees as she did so.

"No, I like my butt just the way it is."

He was tempted to roll his eyes at that, but stifled it in favor of shutting her door for her as she moved back to sit in the driver's seat. Once she was situated she rolled down the window, grinning at him. "Want a short ride to your car?"

He shook his head and motion vaguely to the next aisle over. "It's not far enough to warrant that."

She shrugged. "If you're sure; then I will see you whenever we run into each other next."

Itachi nodded. "Or whenever we schedule something." He did have her phone number from the last time they'd met after all.

Sakura grinned. "Right, that too. So then I guess I'll probably hear from you before I see you. Well actually, knowing my track record, you'll probably hear from me first." She paused, as if debating whether she had remembered everything, and then finally nodded.

"I will call you later." He assured, not willing to find a pencil or take his hands out of his pockets now that they were safe from the cold, and the sticky note with her address on it was clutched securely in his hands. He could give his house address to her at a later point in time, after all.

She nodded back. "Sounds like a plan. Bye Itachi."

He tipped his head to her and told her goodbye, watching with dark eyes as she rolled her window back up and pulled out of her parking space.


End file.
